Buck Knives is moving on to Idaho; costs cited (Energy, Work Comp & Politics)

The San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | January 15, 2003 | Matthew T. Hall

[Robert357]

Buck Knives, one of the county's landmark businesses, said yesterday that it is leaving California and will move to Idaho early next year.

President and CEO C.J. Buck said California's rising cost of business forced the hand of the family, which has run the company for 100 years. He said that in April, too, when first discussing a possible move.

Buck said no more than a quarter of his 250 employees will move to the plant in Post Falls, Idaho. He said no layoffs will come this year, and added the company has not set a moving date beyond the first quarter of 2004.

Last year, Buck Knives celebrated its century mark. It was founded in Kansas in 1902, moved to San Diego after World War II and settled in El Cajon in 1968. Its knives are sold internationally and are favorites among outdoorsmen.

Buck, who was 8 when the company moved to El Cajon, said his father, Chuck Buck, made the final decision to leave the city late last week.

C.J. Buck credited local politicians and business leaders with working hard to retain the company in the spring, but said that after November's statewide elections the family didn't envision the business climate getting better in California.

East County Supervisor Diane Jacob said the problems faced by the company are "breaking the backs of businesses in this state."

"I think this is just the beginning of the exodus of businesses in the state unless there are sweeping reforms in the way we treat businesses," Jacob said.

Terry Saverson, head of the East County Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the departure of Buck Knives illustrates all businesses are having trouble with state laws and regulations. She said she knows of several businesses that are feeling pressure to leave.

El Cajon Mayor Mark Lewis said he hoped the departure would not create a domino effect, noting that some local businesses are suppliers to Buck Knives.

The company has struggled over the years, facing increased competition in an international market. Annual sales are off 25 percent since 1995. Twenty years ago, the company had 600 employees, more than twice what it has now.

The 10 acres the company owns near Gillespie Field went up for sale again yesterday at an asking price of $9 million. It was on the market last year, but the family took it off when no one made an offer.

Phil Duckett, the company's vice president of operations, said its new 12-acre home cost about $800,000.

The land price is but one of the incentives that Idaho offered Buck Knives. The company will receive $3,000 per employee from the state for training. In addition, wages, benefits, utilities and workers' compensation costs are much lower than California's, Duckett said.

In Idaho, the company's energy costs could fall 60 percent, workers' compensation costs 40 percent, and wages and benefits 20 percent, compared with here. Executives said they expect to employ the same number of people.

Duckett said the company's annual savings would be in the millions of dollars, but he declined to be more specific.

The company chose Idaho over states, such as Washington and Oregon, because it had the "best long-term, business-friendly legislative environment," Buck said.

He said the news disappointed but did not surprise workers. Buck told them yesterday to give them as much time as possible to find other jobs if they wanted to start looking.

"We ran the risk of giving too much notice and possibly losing people while we still needed them," he said. "That's a chance we decided to take."

The company is considering bonuses and incentives for workers who decide to stay to the end, Buck said.

He summed up his thoughts on the move, saying: "I adore East County, so it's very sad to have to make this decision that we have to relocate. On the other hand, Idaho is beautiful."

[katana]

"best long-term, business-friendly legislative environment,"

Red that as: "Rock Ribbed Republican". Take that, Gov. Doofus.

[Vic3O3]

Hehehe, another one leaving the Land of Kalifornication! OohRah!

[radioman]

Those were probably Fish and Game guys/gals. They are used in a lot of stuff like that. That is why we seldom see them ever out enforcing game laws and arresting poachers and those fishing/hunting with out licenses.

California Fish and Game officers are used primarily for drug war searches. They can search and seize without a warrant. They are the only law enforcement agency with the power to do that.
California has already destroyed the hunting and fishing industry for sportsmen.
Where I live, sportsmen were a big part of our income. We no longer have them.
Ten years ago our school district had over 250 students. That has dropped to under 50.
Ten years ago I had seven neighbors on my road. I now have one, and he has bought a home in Penn. and is moving this summer.
All of this is compliments of SOCIALISM....

[IYAS9YAS]

Not if he's in southern Idaho.

[Grampa Dave]

I never heard of this: California Fish and Game officers are used primarily for drug war searches. They can search and seize without a warrant. They are the only law enforcement agency with the power to do that.

I have heard from people about getting Enviral visits from Fish and Game thugs with their guns in their holsters.

Where do you live?

[Grampa Dave]

Be careful what you wish for!

[Grampa Dave]

Honest, boss, I only clicked the post button once and got a triple posts.

Watermelon Jihadists describes a large part of the enviralists on this coast.

[gorush]

Buck knives are cool and so is Idaho...I'm glad they found each other...and don't worry Gov. Davis... you'll only need to raise the taxes a little bit to make up for this.

[EBUCK]

They used school buses yesterday to transport the teachers to Olympia.

I wonder if those morons can see the irony in using tax-funded transportation, on tax-funded time, to take more tax-funded time and energy from tax-funded public servants all in the name of raising taxes in order to fill the gap between what they spend and what is taken from us....wow.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Be careful what you wish for!

Grampa,I know exactly what I am looking for. And I will say I am a little selfish here. As it is my opinion that there are just too many folks here in Cal anyway. The developers over built many areas and it would not bother me to see many thousands leave. Without going into detail, most anything that happens here wont affect me too much. I am fortunate, established and I'm in a good position and in a great area which we love very much.

I truly want to see this state government on it's financial knees. My only hope is that in four years from now, Gray Davis, the AH from New York, looks as bad as possible and is standing in the middle of a financial nightmare in Sac.

Bring it on!

[LibWhacker]

They're already horribly anti-knife: no automatics in home or in public, no carry daggers, no pen knives, can't carry anything over 4", with the rules varying widely from jurisdiction to jursidiction.

Carrying a knife in California is a very iffy proposition. What's legal in your county, may be illegal in your city. What's legal in your town may be illegal in the next town over. Never carry one of those pocket clips knives; you'll probably be safe, but it can also get you arrested real fast.

[lobo59]

No, I only threw that in to point out the modern corporate way of doing business now days. Your other point was interesting, because if the world court and NAFTA had a say in the matter he would have to move to Mexico or overseas to a sweatshop supporting tyranny. This generation of Americans is the first in our history which can not look forward to a higher standard of living than their parents had. Right to work for less states are fine, but guess what the price of cars, food gasoline and things we buy are the same as else where. No one gives a discount just because wages are lower.

I was working out of Idaho Falls on 9-11 and it is a nice area. Wife wants to move to Idaho just because of the liberal morons around the state of Willamette spilling over to the dry side, the real Oregon. For her health tho we are moving to lower elevation, not higher as in Idaho. Reality is tho that childhood hunger and poverty are almost as bad in Idaho as here in Oregon where we lead the nation

[EBUCK]

[Grampa Dave]

Why do you guys want California or America to fall down? Suicide is not a good game plan.

[cksharks]

Another Dem union thug.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Why do you guys want California or America to fall down? Suicide is not a good game plan.

Not talking suicide. Besides there is no choice. Is there? If you have a plan I would like to hear it.

The idiots voted the AH back into office. They get what they deserve. And if a complete breakdown in state government comes, and hundreds of thousands flee to points unknown, so be it. When the dust settles, the leftist will be lit up.

I tire of the BS. After what they did to Prop 187, they get everything they deserve, IMO....

[WHATNEXT?]

I was shocked that the new Gov wants to go to 0 based budgeting!! Is it possible? Will the State worker's union let him do it.

It did take Nixon to go to China. It may take a Dem to put through some Conservative plans. Amazing. But, we will see.

[WHATNEXT?]

Locke and Oregon Gov. Kulogoski had a meeting about their mutual state budget problems. This must have been a reality check meeting. The results (at this point) are an improvement over our last Dem Governor.

[EBUCK]

Will the State worker's union let him do it.

Do they have a choice? They are the ones that got him elected...do you think they would actually have the nuts to admit they were wrong? Think the Kulon could be a fiscal Conservative incognito???? That would be awesome!